Should Red Sox Make Major Splash? Giants Star Could Be Starting Rotation Missing Piece

The Red Sox have plenty of work to do

The Boston Red Sox have struggled so far this season. 

Boston is 5-8 in its first 13 games and although at times has shown some promise, inconsistent play and injuries already have ravaged the club. The Red Sox's middle infield has been a major problem but should improve as players get healthier. 

Another major question surrounding the club is Boston's starting pitching. The Red Sox entered the 2023 campaign seemingly with a surplus of starting pitching with seven pitchers vying for the five rotation spots, but that depth has been tested early due to injuries and the rotation as a whole has struggled. Boston's starting rotation has the third-worst ERA in all of baseball at 6.71 so a move may be worth exploring. 

Boston was tied to seemingly every available player this offseason and signed former Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, but was unable to add a top-of-the-rotation ace. If the club was still in the market for a pitching upgrade, one player the team should monitor is San Francisco Giants hurler Alex Wood. 

The 32-year-old has impressed so far this season for San Francisco and has a 1.17 ERA through two starts. While it isn't likely he will maintain this level of production throughout the season, Wood is a former All-Star and could give the Boston rotation a lift. It's unclear if the Giants would consider dealing Wood, but he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season so if San Francisco falls out of contention, a move would make sense around the trade deadline.

San Francisco has had a similarly disappointing start to the 2023 season a has a 5-7 through its first 12 games so it's entirely possible that its struggles could continue. Boston's rotation is sure to get a lift with Brayan Bello and James Paxton both nearing a return to the big leagues, but monitoring a player of Wood's caliber would make sense. 

If the Red Sox can turn things around and stay near play contention, they could be dangerous down the line. Boston eventually will get Adam Duvall and likely Trevor Story back into the lineup so if the club were to add a player like Wood into the mix, it could only help. 

Boston's start to the 2023 season hasn't been great, to say the least, but there still is potential, and adding another pitcher into the mix could only help. 

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